System, methodology, and computer program product for gathering game data

Abstract

An system, methodology and computer program product for gathering game data pertaining to players, teams, and leagues, so that the players, teams, league, and league administrators have access to the game data. A touch screen computer terminal is provided at the sports venue and it is in communication with a computer network. A server computer is in communication with the touch screen..computer terminal over the computer network, and the server computer receives the game data over the computer network from the touch screen computer terminal, and proceeds to and store and organize the game data in a database. The game data is then made available over the computer network to league administrators, so that the league administrators can make quick and accurate decisions based on game data. The game data is also made available to the players over the computer network.

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       36 . A system for assisting in the gathering and dissemination of game data comprising: 
 a server computer comprising a database for storing and organizing the game data generated when a game is played;    a touch screen computer terminal at a sporting arena, the touch screen computer terminal comprising a memory and in electronic communication with the server computer over a computer network;    a plurality of touch screen displays provided for on the touch screen computer terminal;    providing a scorekeeper for entering the game data into the plurality of touch screen displays as the game is being played, the game data stored in the touch screen computer terminal as the game is played;    providing a referee for verifying the game data inputted by the scorekeeper and that is stored in the touch screen computer terminal by the referee for uploading the game data from the touch screen computer to the server computer;    an administrator computer in electronic communication with the server computer and for accessing the uploaded game data;    providing an administrator for analyzing the game data uploaded to the administrator computer and making decisions for a team wherein the decisions include suspending players, resolving disputes, editing rosters, and preventing unregistered players from playing;    wherein the game data uploaded from the touch screen computer terminal to the server computer is stored in the database, the uploading by way of electronic communication between the touch screen computer terminal and the server computer;    a player computer for allowing a player to access the game data over the computer network wherein the player is not permitted to edit the game data; and    an electronic gamesheet for displaying the game data.    
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 36  further wherein the administrator further sets schedules so that the teams competing are evenly matched so there are no mismatched games and player injury is thus decreased.  
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 37  wherein the administrator views the game data from a computer in communication with the server computer so that the administrator may edit the game data.  
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 36  wherein the scorekeeper enters the game data into the plurality of touch screen displays that appear on the touch screen computer terminal in real time as the game data is generated as the game is played.  
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 36  wherein the game data displayed by the electronic gamesheet comprises: 
 organization data, team data, rink data, league data, division data, player data, officials data, referee data, game-to-be-played data, roster data, goal scored data, penalty data, and statistical data.    
   
   
       41 . The system of  claim 36  wherein the server computer is provided with a merchant account for billing a sports league utilizing the electronic gamesheet wherein the merchant account is in electronic communication with the server computer.  
   
   
       42 . A system for an electronic gamesheet comprising: 
 a server computer in communication with a computer network;    a client computer in electronic communication with the server computer over the computer network and the client computer comprising a touch screen computer terminal used for receiving input game data and used for uploading the game data to the server computer over the computer network and an administrator computer in electronic communication with the server computer for receiving uploaded game data;    a plurality of touch screen displays generated by the touch screen computer terminal, each of the plurality of touch screen displays for the entry of game data therein by a scorekeeper who keeps track of a game being played and wherein teams and players are displayed on the plurality of touch screen displays;    providing a head referee for reviewing players about to play and disallowing suspended players and unregistered players from playing and for verifying the accuracy of the entered game data before the game data is uploaded to the server computer;    providing an administrator for reviewing the game data uploaded to the administrator computer and for making decisions based on the uploaded game data including suspending players and resolving player disputes and editing game data; and    wherein the server computer comprises a database for storing and organizing the game data received from the touch screen computer terminal in a database and for making the game data viewable over the computer network to teams and players and wherein teams and players are not allowed to edit game data.    
   
   
       43 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the computer network comprises the internet, and wherein the electronic gamesheet game data comprises the following: 
 organization data, team data, rink data, league data, division data, player data, officials data, referee data, game-to-be-played data, roster data, goal scored data, penalty data, and statistical data.    
   
   
       44 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the computer network comprises the internet.  
   
   
       45 . A method for gathering game data pertaining to a game being played comprising the steps of: 
 providing a touch screen computer terminal at a location where the game is to be played;    providing a touch screen computer terminal to be in communication with a computer network;    providing a server computer such that the server computer and the touch screen computer are in electronic communication over the computer network;    downloading files comprising lookup tables for teams, leagues, and divisions from the server computer to the touch screen computer when a new game is played and providing the touch screen computer with a memory used for storing the lookup tables and the lookup tables used for providing a referee with error-free information pertaining to the game to be played;    providing the touch screen computer terminal with a plurality of touch screen displays generated by the touch screen computer terminal, the plurality of touch screen displays for entering game data therein;    using the touch screen computer terminal having a memory for storing and organizing game data entered therein;    storing the game data in the memory of the touch screen computer terminal in a plurality of files and ordering the plurality of files in a hierarchy such that a first file in the plurality of files is a general information file, a second file in the plurality of files is a rink information file, a third file in the plurality of files is a league information file, a fourth file in the plurality of files is a team information file, a fifth file in the plurality of files is a game-in-progress file, and a sixth file in the plurality of files is a completed game file;    using the referee for reviewing and approving the game data stored in the touch screen computer terminal; and    uploading the game data to the server computer after it has been approved by the referee.    
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 45  further comprising the steps of requesting game data from the computer network and receiving game data from the computer network and wherein the game data received can be edited by an administrator and wherein a player can only view the game data over the computer network and cannot edit the game data.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 46  wherein the computer network is the internet.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 46  wherein the game data entered into the touch screen terminal comprises: 
 organization data, team data, rink data, league data, division data, player data, officials data, referee data, game-to-be-played data, roster data, goal scored data, penalty data, and statistical data.    
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 46  further comprising providing a scorekeeper for entering the game data into the plurality of touch screen displays as the game is being played.